Spokane, WA February 25-26, 2021

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Presented by 1st Responder Conferences & Blue H.E.L.P. 

Co-hosted by the Spokane Police Department & Kalispel Tribal Public Safety

This training is for all 1st responders, police, fire, military/veterans, corrections, dispatchers, chaplains, retired 1st responders, spouses, professional staff, clinicians, and all who work in the public safety field. (Spouses and significant others are encouraged to register.)

1st Responder Conferences presents a multi-faceted two-day seminar and networking event for improving the mental health and wellness of our first responders. By discussing the real 21st Century issues that are consistently facing our first responders and their families, our conference will provide awareness, resources and action items to combat PTSD, depression, suicide, addiction, stress, and overall mental health. 

1st Responder Conferences proudly introduces a line-up of credible nationally recognized speakers who will address matters that impact the personal and professional lives of first responders and their family members through dynamic and engaging presentations for the entire first responder community. This two-day seminar is unique in that your spouses or significant others who support you are invited to come learn with you. 

With a progressive and forward message of optimism and sustainability, 1st Responder Conferences goal is pushing past traditional silence and bringing first responder wellness to our Everyday Heroes.

Register now for $50 off! Early bird pricing until February 3, 2021.

Speakers and Topics:

"Operational Stress and Resilience"-Dr. Shannon Meyer- Even though we all know that this work changes us, we rarely discuss the emotional costs of being a first responder. Incidents, large and small, impact not only our feelings and perspective on the world, but they can also result in biological changes to our brain. In fact, evidence indicates that operational stress injuries, like PTSD, result from physical damage to our brain, including changes in its structure and functioning. This presentation will discuss some of the ways that work can take a destructive toll on us, both emotionally and biologically. We will talk about what to look for in ourselves, how to look out for each other, and where to turn if things get bad. We will also talk about the ways that we can cultivate resilience and how we can insulate, and protect, ourselves from the toxic effects of our jobs. Dr. Shannon Meyer has a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with advanced training and expertise in PTSD, operational stress, and secondary trauma in first responders. Dr. Meyer is a Victim Specialist who works for FBI in the Seattle area, a member of the Skagit County CISM Team, and a psychologist at the West Coast Post-Trauma Retreat, a residential treatment program for first responders. Dr. Meyer and her German Shepherd, Odin, recently became certified as a Crisis Response Canine Team with the goal of serving first responders at natural and man-made disasters. Dr. Meyer is happily married to a retired law enforcement officer.

"Emotional Stability, the True Strength of a First Responder"- Pat Ellis, Puget Sound Fire, Kent Police Department Crisis Intervention Coordinator/Chaplain- Police Officers, Firefighters, 911 Operators and other Emergency Service Professionals are immersed in societies trauma and they are shareholders in societies grief. In the face of trauma and grief we have to separate ourselves from the emotions of the situation so that we can do the job that we have been sworn to uphold. In the midst of unimaginable tragedy, first responders put their emotions to the side and provide first aid and investigative skills. The ability to ignore, override, and push forward is a skill that is learned and utilized on a regular basis. While this skill is invaluable and allows us to do our jobs, we pay the price on the backside of life. The professional separation is actually a suppression of the emotions we are exposed to which creates an emotional vacuum in our psych causing our emotional equilibrium to be off kilter. We start to lose the ability to be vulnerable and emotional connected to our loved ones. We explain this away by thinking of vulnerability and emotions as weaknesses. This webinar will take a close look at this process and explorer tangible and workable solutions and strategies to maintaining emotional equilibrium and connectedness with the people in our lives that matter the most. Pat Ellis started his career as a public safety chaplain in 2000 with the Kent Police Department, Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, Valley 911 Communications Center. He holds multiple certifications in critical incident stress management, traumatic stress, traumatic grief, and line of duty death of an emergency responder. Pat teaches Critical Incident Stress Management, Compassion Fatigue and Emotional Survival in Emergency Services and Compassion Fatigue for various public safety agencies and academy’s throughout Washington. He also trains and coordinates peer support teams for multiple fire and police departments. Pat serves as President of the Board for the Washington State Fallen Firefighters Foundation and is the co-author of the Washington State Fire Service Line of Duty Death Policy and Procedures. He is the Washington State Coordinator for the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, Local Assistant State Team.

"Overcoming Physical and Mental Challenges: A Personal Story of Beating Breast Cancer"- Carol Dellinger, Inspirational & Motivational Speaker, Warrior Marathon Runner- Carol has finished 314 marathons and counting, and she is a 10 year breast cancer survivor. She presents a very moving and inspiring presentation to show you that challenges can be overcome! You will be inspired to live life to its fullest after hearing her speak! Carol is an inspirational and motivational speaker for many running events, sales meetings, athletic teams, and breast cancer events. She is one of only a few women in the United States to have finished over 300 marathons! Born and raised in Spokane, she travels extensively sharing her story of survival. She says "I will never quit, I will never give in because I am a survivor and an overcomer! I still have a lot of fight left in me! 

"Stress: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly"- Dr. Josh Briley, Electromedical Products International, Inc.- Stress is a prevalent and necessary part of life for a first responder. There is the immediate stress of responding to a call, whether it is a traffic citation, structure fire, motor vehicle accident, domestic dispute, etc. Every time a first responder receives a call and leaps into action, there are physical and psychological changes induced by the situational stress that allow him or her to perform at peak levels. There is the anticipatory stress in waiting for a call to come in. So even the "quiet" days can produce an underlying stress of waiting for something to happen. There is also the chronic stress of shift work, overtime, time lost with family, coping with changes in bureaucratic requirements, supervisors, and civilians. And obviously, there is the stress that comes from the repeated exposure to trauma that affects all first responders. Ineffective, and often harmful, methods of attempting the manage this stress are easy to fall in to. Substance use, improper use of medications, anger outbursts, isolating from family and other loved ones, avoidance, etc. all generally start as ways to just get through the day, or get to sleep. But they can quickly get out of hand and cause ripple effects at work, with our families, and even our physical and mental health. However, there are better ways to cope with the stress. This presentation will cover some ways to manage stress in the middle of an emergency situation, as well as some slight changes to perspective and lifestyle that will profoundly improve your ability to manage the ever present stress in your life. Safer and more effective treatments for anxiety, insomnia, depression, and pain will also be discussed. Josh Briley PhD, FAIS, is the Science and Education Director for Electromedical Products International, Inc., the manufacturer and distributor of Alpha-Stim devices. Dr. Briley is a licensed clinical psychologist. His multi-faceted career has given him experience with a wide variety of populations and psychological difficulties. He began his career working for the Federal Bureau of Prisons first as a staff psychologist at the Federal Correctional Complex in Beaumont, TX, then as a Residential Drug Abuse Program Coordinator at the Federal Correctional Institution in El Reno, OK. While employed with BOP, he also served on, and was later assigned to lead, two institutional Crisis Support Teams. He was also selected to be an Assistant Team Leader for the Regional Crisis Support Team in the South Central Region of the Bureau of Prisons, and served as both a Regional and National trainer for Crisis Support Team exercises and classes. His duties with Crisis Support Teams made him proficient in Psychological First Aid, disaster response, critical incident management, and shelter management. After leaving the Bureau of Prisons, Dr. Briley served as the clinical psychologist for a community outpatient clinic in Central Texas for the Veterans Health Administration. He became proficient in treating veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, suicidal ideation, and family difficulties. In addition, Dr. Briley has served as an Adjunct Professor for the University of Phoenix online, teaching several courses in Statistics, Research Methodology, and Abnormal Psychology for the Masters of Psychology program. Dr. Briley concurrently served as a part-time professor for Capella University online teaching an introductory to the psychology program to undergraduates. Dr. Briley ran a private practice for five years, providing a wide range of psychological assessments and therapy to members of a rural, Central Texas community. For the past three years, Dr. Briley has worked with BetterHelp.com and its affiliates, providing therapy online to clients in Texas and throughout the world.

"Gaining Gravity"- Jarom Smith, Leadership Expert- “Gaining Gravity” focuses primarily on empowering teams and leaders to think bigger of themselves while also adopting accountability as an asset rather than a burden. Many people go about talking about “influence” from an circumstantial standpoint, when in fact, it has everything to do with how we perceive (or fail to recognize) patterns in the world around us. This presentation calibrates the mind to help shift our interpersonal belief system into a healthier, and much more true set of beliefs. The promise? An increase productivity, retention, and morale in the workplace. These practices of mental wellness and accountability are essential when working in high intensity environments. Jarom started off in the entertainment industry, where he helped produce films by helping them get funded, and starred in a few as well. He decided Hollywood wasn't his thing, and instead moved and started working with a company that did leadership events for school in an effort to fundraise. Jarom was the lead speaker of the Orange County Franchise. Though he still works with that company from time to time, Jarom now speaks independently. Jarom was recently featured in Forbes as an expert in Leadership and Emotional Intelligence and also Yahoo Finance. He will soon be taking a portion of his keynote to a TED event. 

"Normalizing Mental Health Awareness to Reduce Stigma in First Responders”- Retired Officer Gary Taylor, Psy.D.- Gary covers first responder professions by showing statistics for their occupations, unifying the data by demonstrating trauma is not tied to any specific job. He discusses the culture, utilizes research data to support stigma problems and reduction needs and shows research on the issue from the military and the World Health Organization. After laying out the problem, he will discuss his personal experiences, the importance of help seeking behavior and education in the culture. He will also provide information on the importance of post traumatic growth, and various types of therapies currently being used, most importantly, there is no one size fits all therapy. Lastly, Gary has audio and video of others speaking on this issue, and the access he has to police psychologists across the country through his membership in the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology. Gary Taylor is a retired police officer with nineteen years of service with Fresno and Clovis Police Departments beginning in 1994-2013. Gary is a member of the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology in order to network with mental health professionals that deal with law enforcement. He has his (M.S.) degree in Criminology from California State University, Fresno, and his doctorate (Psy.D.) in Organizational Development from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Fresno. He created an intervention program to help law enforcement officers, administrators and family members become more aware of the benefits of mental health treatment so they can get help sooner than later. Gary has consulted and has been asked to speak on this subject matter at conferences across the U.S. 

More Speaker Information coming soon!

Continental Breakfast and lunches are provided on both days. 

*Networking Social on February 25th from 4:00-6:00 pm @ the venue. This is a great opportunity to get to know others, ask questions and share your ideas and thoughts with other like-minded professionals. Appetizers will be provided and beverages will be availble for purchase.

*Accommodations: Conference specials/discounted hotel rates available: Group block/discounted hotel rates available: We have a group block at The Northern Quest Resort & Casino Casino (Classic Rooms $129.00 Sunday-Thursday, Classic Rooms $169.00 Friday-Saturday. This rate will be available based on guest room availability at the Resort). All reservations for the group will be handled through the Northern Quest Resort & Casino's reservation department and guests may call this toll free number (866) 298-1941 and let them know you are attending the 1st Responder Conferences Conference.

To download a flyer please visit www.1stresponderconferences.org or contact us for flyers, basic info letters, and sponsor/industry partner/vendor forms for your organizations or to share.

*You must register to attend. Seats are limited for this conference. Early Bird registration is open until February 3rd and is $199.00. Registration after February 3rd will be $249.00 (Plus Eventbrite charges) 

A limited amount of scholarships are availble for those with financial hardships. Please contact Amanda at amanda@1stresponderconferences.org for more information.

*Disclaimers*

Photograph/Video Disclaimer Statement

1st Responder Conferences (1RC) reserves the right to use any photograph/video taken at any event sponsored by 1RC , without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. 1RC may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted by 1RC including but not limited to: brochures, invitations, books, newspapers, magazines, television, websites, etc. No video recording by attendees permitted. Please keep in mind that the photos and videos we take are mostly of the overall attendees and not specific to one person. We respect the privacy of everyone at our conferences and we will not use photos or videos that jeopardize your well being.

Waiver of Liability 

Some of the material presented at this event may cause emotional triggers. We will have onsite assistance if needed. There will also be additional resources available if needed. This conference is not intended to provide counseling services, whether medical, psychological or of any other kind, nor to diagnose, prevent, cure or treat any disease, diorder or injury. This conference is certainly not intended to replace the advice of a physician. If you need expert advice, please consult a competent professional. This conference is only intended for “educational” use and it should only be used as a guide.

COVID-19 SAFETY INFORMATION:

While participating in events held by 1st Responder Conferences (1st RC) “social distancing” must always be practiced and face coverings worn to reduce the risks of exposure to COVID-19. Because COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is spread mainly from person-to-person contact, 1st RC has put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19. 1st RC cannot guarantee that its participants, volunteers, partners, or others in attendance will not become infected with COVID-19.

At registration we will have a waiver of liability and a photo release form that must be signed. If you have any questions regarding the waiver please contact us, so we can be of assistance.

*Accommodations: Conference specials/discounted hotel rates available: Group block/discounted hotel rates available: We have a group block at The Northern Quest Resort & Casino Casino (Classic Rooms $129.00 Sunday-Thursday, Classic Rooms $169.00 Friday-Saturday. This rate will be available based on guest room availability at the Resort). All reservations for the group will be handled through the Northern Quest Resort & Casino's reservation department and guests may call this toll free number (866) 298-1941 and let them know you are attending the 1st Responder Conferences Conference.